Wire clip to engage recess in stud



v Jan. 10, 1967 DRETTMANN 3,297,815

WIRE CLIP TO ENGAGE RECESS IN STUD Filed Sept. 5, 1964 N INVENTOR.

HENRY DRETTMANN ATTOR NE Y5 United States Patent M 3,297,815 WIRE CLIP T0 ENGAGE RECESS IN STUD Henry Drettmann, Grosse Pointe, Mich., assignor to Active Tool & Manufacturing Co., Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Filed Sept. 3, 1964, Ser. No. 394,175 13 Claims. (Cl. 174-48) This invention relates to a wire clip, and more particularly to a clip adapted to be mounted in mortised slots of wall studs for extending Wiring along the walls.

In conventional house construction the wiring is usually extended through the walls by drilling holes through the 2 x 4 studding and extending the wiring through the drilled holes. In wall structures that are relatively thin, for example in the walls of mobile homes and the like, the studding is also relatively thin and the drilling of holes through the studding is not a practical way of extending wiring through such walls. It has therefore been the practice in the case of mobile homes to mortise slots in the edges of the relatively thin studding and then nail sheet metal wire clips in said slots, so that the finish wall covering can be mounted on the studs flush with the edges thereof.

The present invention has for its primary object the elimination of the requirement for nailing such wire clips to the studs. A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a wire clip that can be securely mounted within a mortised slot of a wall stud readily and without the use of additional fastening means. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an end view of the wire clip of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear elevational view of the clip.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a wall stud, showing the manner in which the clip of the present invention is mounted thereon.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a wall with the clip of the present invention mounted thereon.

Referring to the drawings, the clip of the present invention, which is generally designated 10, comprises a U-shaped sheet metal strap having legs 12 and 14 connected by a bight portion 16. Leg 12 is longer than leg 14, and at the free end thereof leg 12 is formed with a pair of pointed prongs 18. The other leg 14 of the clip is V-shaped at its free end to provide an inclined lip 20 and an abutment 22. At the bight portion 16 of the clip there is provided a tab 26. Tab 26 is struck out of the bight portion 16 and extends generally from the lower end of leg 12 at an angle of about 30 to 45 to the plane of leg 12. The free end of tab 26 includes a relatively sharp edge 28 at the junction between the relatively flat face 30 and the sheared end face 32 of the tab.

When it is desired to use the wire clip for extending the wiring along studding, as is indicated at 34, the front .face 36 of the studding is fashioned with a rectangular notch 38. The depth of notch 38, as is shown in FIG. 4, corresponds-generally with the dimension of the wire cli-p between the outer faces of the legs 12 and 14. The length of notch 38 is somewhat shorter than the total length of the wire clip between the ends of prongs 1 8 and the edge 28 of tab 26. The notches 38 are formed in the studding at the locations where it is desired to extend the wiring. In the conventional arrangement the wiring consists of twoor three-wire cable commonly referred to as Romex. The wire clip is utilized for supporting the Romex cable on the studding 34 by inserting the wire clip into the notch 38 in the manner illustrated in FIG. 3. The clip is inserted into the notch 3,297,815 Patented Jan. 10, 1967 38 in angled relation with the prongs 18 engaging the upper inner corner 40 of the notch. The bight portion 16 of the clip is then tapped with a hammer or similar tool to drive the prongs 18 into the wood a distance sufficient to enable the clip to be pivoted about these prongs into the notch at its lower end. The prongs 18 are not driven into the lumber a distance sufficient to enable the clip to be pivoted freely into the notch; they are driven into the wood a distance such that when the clip is pivoted into the notch the tab 26 interfers with the lower face 42 of the notch and digs into this face, as illustrated in FIG. 4. With the clip positioned in the notch, as shown in BIG. 4, it is firmly held in place by the prongs 1'8 and the tab 26. Since the sharp edge 28 and the sheared face 32 penetrate into the wood, as illustrated, thev tab 26 tends to dig deeper into the wood when it is attempted to pull the wire clip out of the notch 38. It will be appreciated, of course, that the clip can be removed from notch 38 if a suificient outward pull is applied thereto. However, prongs 1'8 and tab 26 perform sufiicient retention to prevent accidental displacement of the wire clip from notch 38.

Legs 12 and 14 are spaced apart a distance only slightly greater than the narrow dimension of the Romex cable with which the clip is intended to be used. Abutment 22 is spaced from leg 12 a distance slightly less than the narrow dimension of the Romex cable, so as to prevent the Romex cable from freely slipping out of the clip. Insertion of the Romex cables into the clip is facilitated by the inclined lip 20, as is shown in FIG. 4.

I claim:

1. A clip adapted to be mounted in a slot mortised in a wood stud for retaining wires comprising a -U-shaped strap, one leg of which is longer than the other, the longer leg of the strap having prong means at its free end adapted to penetrate into one end of the mortised slot in a stud and the bight portion of the U having a tab struck outwardly therefrom for engaging the opposite end of the slot.

2. A clip as called for in claim 1, wherein said tab extends generally in a direction from the longer leg of the clip toward the plane of the shorter leg and is inclined at an angle of less than 3. A clip adapted to be mounted in a slot mortised in a wood stud for retaining wires comprising a U-shaped strap, one leg of which is longer than the other, the longer leg of the strap having prong means at its free end adapted to penetrate into one end of the mortised slot in a stud and the 'bight portion of the U having a tab projecting outwardly therefrom for engaging the opposite end of the slot.

4. A clip as called .for in claim 3 formed of sheet metal.

5. A clip adapted to be mounted in a slot mortised in a wood stud for retaining wires comprising a U-shaped strap having a pair of generally parallel legs connected together by a rounded bight portion, one of said legs being longer than the other, the free end of the longer leg being provided with prong means projecting therefrom in the plane of the leg as an extension thereof and adapted to penetrate into one end of the mortised slot, the bight portion of the -U having a tab struck outwardly therefrom, said tab extending generally in the direction from the plane of the longer leg toward the plane of the shorter leg at an angle of less than 90 to the plane of the longer leg.

6. A clip as called for in claim 5, wherein the free end of the shorter leg is turned outwardly away from the plane of the longer leg to facilitate insertion of 7. A clip as called for in claim 5, wherein the shorter wires between said legs.

leg of the U is fashioned with a generally V-shaped free end with the apex of the V displaced toward the plane u of thelonger leg of the U.

8. A clip adapted to be mounted in a slot mortised in a wood stud for retaining wires comprising a U-shaped strap having a pair of generally flat parallel legs connected by a generally rounded bight portion, one of said legs being longer than the other, the longer leg having prongs extending from the free end thereof in a direction longitudinally of the leg in the plane thereof, the rounded bight portion having a tab struck outwardly therefrom, the tab being connected to the clip generally at the junction of the longer leg and the bight portion and extending angularly outwardly beyond the bight portion in a direction toward the plane of the shorter leg.

9. A clip as called for in claim 8, wherein the free end of the tab lies generally in the medial plane between the legs and presents a sharp edge at its free end.

10. A clip as called for in claim 9, wherein the tab is inclined to the plane of the longer leg and at an angle of about 30 to 45.

11. 'In combination, a wall structure which includes an upright wood stud, said stud having a generally rectangular slot in one edge thereof which extends transversely across the stud, a clip for said slot comprising a generally U-shaped strap having a pair of legs of unequal length connected together by a bight portion, the longer leg being generally flat and lying against the base of the slot, prong means at the free end of the longer leg penetrating into the wood at one end of the slot, the bight portion having a tab struck outwardly therefrom,

said tab at its free end penetrating into the wood at the opposite end of the slot, said tab extending toward theopposite -face'of the slot and being inclined to the edge of the wood defining the adjacent end of the slot so as to dig into the wood and tending to prevent removal of the clip from the slot by rotation of the clip about said prong means as an axis, and wires extending transversely of the stud and between the legs of the clip.

12. The combination called for in claim 11, wherein the free end of the shorter leg is spaced from the end of the slot a distance to enable insertion of wires into the space betweenthe legs from the open face of the slot.

13. The combination called for in claim 12, wherein the shorter le-g has its extreme free edge portion inclined in a direction outwardly of the slot and the portion adjacent thereto projecting inwardly of the slot beyond the general plane of the shorter leg to form an abutment adjacent the free end of the shorter leg which tends to retain the wires between the legs.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,037,163 4/1936 Guy 52548 3,21 l,8*24 10/ 1965 'Heiman 52-220 3,211,825 10/1965 Clos 52220 FRANK L. A-BBOTT, Primary Examiner.

R. A. STENZEL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CLIP ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED IN A SLOT MORTISED IN A WOOD STUD FOR RETAINING WIRES COMPRISING A U-SHAPED STRAP, ONE LEG OF WHICH IS LONGER THAN THE OTHER, THE LONGER LEG OF THE STRAP HAVING PRONG MEANS AT ITS FREE END ADAPTED TO PENETRATE INTO ONE END OF THE MORTISED SLOT IN A STUD AND THE BIGHT PORTION OF THE U HAVING A TAB STRUCK OUTWARDLY THEREFROM FOR ENGAGING THE OPPOSITE END OF THE SLOT. 